


come rest in my arms

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, just soft boys in love taking care of each other tbh, the other dreamies are mentioned for like one second sry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They’re all exhausted with a comeback in the way, but Renjun still tries to take care of those he loves.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 149





	come rest in my arms

It’s not unusual to have to do some adjustments and change in their entire routines when a comeback is approaching.

While being stuck in a practice room for hours and hours on end, all the rest of the world tends to turn into a little figment on the back of their minds and, yeah, maybe they should have some dinner after seven gruesome hours of dance. Or take a shower after some time. Even sleep for more than three hours a day could be a good thing.

And when they’re stuck in these cycles, self-care isn’t really a word they are familiar with.

Still, eating enough to manage their activities for the day is a must. The least they could do.

And that’s why, at 6 am on what seems a regular Wednesday, Renjun is still awake cooking.

All of them were released from the dance practice at 5 am, when the sun still hadn’t even started to rise, after 10 hours of intense dance. The younger ones were already fast asleep—Jisung could barely keep his eyes open and crashed on his bed with his practice clothes still on his body, while Chenle didn’t want to go home while it was still dark and thus was bunking with the youngest.

Renjun would love to take the fastest shower ever and just crash on his bed and sleep for over 12 hours, but the way Jaemin skipped through the kitchen without stopping to grab even a snack and went straight to the bathroom didn’t sit right with him. Even Jisung had managed to stuff himself with food before sleeping and turning himself off from the world.

So Renjun, who had been observing how different Jaemin was acting the last few weeks, decided he could not _not_ do something about it.

That’s why, after bidding goodnight to a grumpy Chenle who complained about being too tired to eat whatever Renjun was cooking, the older tried his best to ignore the fatigue he felt and finish his task.

It wasn’t the best or the tastiest thing—for Jaemin was usually the one in charge of the cooking and he was exceptional at that task but Renjun was _okay_ some days—, but at 6 am, after so many hours of extreme exercise, it was good enough to eat and satiate someone’s hunger.

Renjun was too concentrated chopping green onions and cautiously adding them to the boiling pan that he didn’t hear Jeno entering the room until he was by his side, trying to see what was inside the pan.

“What are you doing over here?” he asked, making Renjun jump slightly, moving some lids and fanning the fumes to see what was inside. “By the way, the bathroom is free now. And Hyuck just texted me and said he arrived at the other dorm.”

“Just something simple… and move your hands out of the way, I’m not finished yet.”

Jeno sent a small pout over his shoulder to the older one, but followed his order and moved to the table, organizing the mess that was upon it before getting utensils and setting the table.

“That’s very nice of you, Rejunnie… You must be very tired, but is still cooking for us… What have we ever done to deserve you?” Jeno said, his voice in a tone a little higher than normal and moving closer to the older boy, his breath grazing Renjun’s cheek.

Renjun could feel his cheeks flushing, but he rolled his eyes and tried to say cooly, though he stammered a little bit on the words. “W-whatever…”

“Guys?” A voice said from the corridor, getting closer to the kitchen. “What are you doing here still awake? I thought everyone would be almost sleeping by now.” Jaemin asked confusedly, before realizing the scene in front of him.

He was already dressed in his pajamas, just a large t-shirt and comfy shorts, but his hair was still wet and dripping over his neck until it would disappear behind the neckline of the shirt.

“Jaeminnie,” Jeno said, smiling from his place behind Renjun and moving his hand quickly in the table’s direction. “Sit down, he’s almost finished here.”

“And he would finish a lot faster if he could move freely without a body on top of him,” Renjun said without even sparing a glance to Jeno, one hand turning off the flame while the other was securing a pan with boiling sauce.

Jeno just smiled as a reply but didn’t move his position, hands splayed on Renjun’s waist and gaze still fixed on Jaemin on the other side of the room.

“Sit, Nana,” Jeno said again, inclining his head. “And join us tonight. Please.”

Jaemin bit his bottom lip slightly, eyes flittering uneasily on the two boys by the stove, but sat with a small sigh.

“You shouldn’t be doing this, Injunnie. We’re all very tired and you don’t need to be working more now…”

“It’s okay,” the boy said. “I’m almost finished, anyway.” He tried to shrug his shoulders but couldn’t move it very well because of the other boy still draped over him. “Jeno, _please_ , go join Jaemin on the table and let me finish this.”

With a pout on his face, Jeno untwined himself from the older boy and moved to the table, the promise of warm food making him budge. Still, he went straight to Jaemin and tried his best to get closer to the boy while still sitting on his own stool, his arm sneaking behind Jaemin’s waist and resting his face on the boy’s shoulder.

“Awww~ Are you tired, Jeno-ya?” Jaemin cooed, gaze flitting down to Jeno’s face who just stared at him with big rounded eyes.

“What a big baby,” Renjun said across the room, his voice was warm but he rolled his eyes when he glanced to the sitting duo. The stove was already off and he was mixing everything together in the biggest pan, finalizing the dish. “Every time he’s sleepy he gets all cuddly and won’t move for anything.”

“You can’t talk about that, Injunnie. You’re exactly the same sometimes,” a big grin was on Jaemin’s face and Renjun huffed, carefully moving across the room with the pan in his hands before placing it on the table.

“Here, give me your bowl so I can serve you.”

Before Renjun could even finish his sentence, Jeno was already sitting as straight as an almost sleeping person could and giving him his bowl, hand ready with chopsticks. Jaemin chuckled slightly but handed him the bowl. Renjun served the boys before filling his own and lifting a spoon, blowing softly before eating.

“Is it okay?” He asked after a few minutes of silence, only the sound of the boys eating and utensils on the table heard. “I don’t think it’s that bad. I’m surprised, actually.”

Jeno barely swallowed before nodding his head. “It’s great, Renjunnie. Really good.”

Jaemin also nodded. “Yeah, it’s good. Have you been practicing lately? Your cooking is a lot better nowadays.”

Renjun tried not to get flustered with the compliments, but he knew it was probably a lost cause to fight it when he was already squirming on his seat. “A little bit. Still not as great as you but I’ve been watching some videos.”

“Ah, if you continue like that soon enough you’ll surpass me,” Jaemin said, a big smile on his face and he winked in the direction of the older boy when he rolled his eyes, trying to suppress a smile.

“Here, Jaemin-ah. Open up—aaaaah,” Jeno raised his spoon and Jaemin moved forward, capturing it. “Eat a lot, okay?” He looked at Jaemin with a worried gaze and patted his head softly. “You need to eat better.”

“Yeah, Nana,” Renjun said across the table, staring at Jaemin with a frown on his face. “Don’t worry about things you can’t control and please just try to eat a little more.”

“Guys, it’s okay—you don’t need to worry about—”

“We care a lot about you,” Jeno said, dropping his chopsticks on his bowl and moving to hold one of Jaemin’s hand, fingers caressing his knuckles and eyes soft. “And we just want you to feel good and okay and the best always. So, please, just try to eat a little more and take care of yourself, okay? Can you try to do that?” his voice was gentle and calm and Jaemin’s chest ached a little bit because of it.

“I—I—”

“You don’t need to say anything,” Renjun said after seeing Jaemin struggle to answer. “You don’t need to promise a thing. Just know that we love you and will try to do the best to care for you, okay? But, please, do try to take care of yourself a little bit...”

Jaemin nodded his head and squeezed Jeno’s hand who squeezed back and pulled him into his side to a hug, body warm against his, and Jaemin almost melted right then.

“Okay, you big puppy,” Renjun said in a heartfelt way, his tone light at watching the scene in front of him. “Just go and finish eating so you can cuddle all you want before sleeping.”

Jeno didn’t say anything, but he let go of Jaemin to quickly inhale all the rest of the food on his bowl, moving his hands in the direction of the boys. “Go, go! Finish eating quickly so we can go to bed, then~”

Jaemin laughed out loud but tried to eat fast, his heart warm and eyes clouding when looking to the two other boys on the table. Sometimes he was afraid it was all a dream and he hadn’t been blessed with these two incredible people.

Renjun just shook his head with Jeno’s words and got up from the table, dropping his utensils in the sink and moving away from it. He stopped by Jaemin’s side and looked with affection towards a Jeno who was almost choking while trying to finish eating; he then rested his hand on Jaemin’s cheek and moved his thumb slightly, eyes still on the other boy, before dropping his gaze and holding it for a while with Jaemin’s. Renjun didn’t say anything—and he didn’t need to; he knew that Jaemin could read him with just one look.

He dropped his hand and moved away, stopping before he could fully enter the bedroom. “If there’s any leftover just put in the fridge for the boys later. They will probably wake up hungry,” and then he disappeared inside.

Jeno replied with a noise, his mouth too occupied to say anything. Jaemin chuckled slightly but lifted his chopsticks, eating a little more; his cheek was still warm—almost as if he could still feel Renjun’s touch—and his heart was aching in a good way. He felt warm and tingly all over.

“Come on, Jeno-ya. He’s waiting for us and you know how grumpy he gets when nobody’s cuddling him.”


End file.
